East Carolina has made a significant late addition to its 2025 football recruiting class with the commitment of three-star EDGE rusher Evan Powell, who had previously signed with West Virginia. Instead of heading to Morgantown, Powell will now begin his college career at ECU.
The 6-foot-3, 245-pound defender is the younger brother of current ECU starting wide receiver Anthony Smith. Although ECU had been recruiting Powell since December, he originally chose to sign with West Virginia—despite the program being without a head coach at the time. After being released from his National Letter of Intent, Powell decided to join the Pirates.
A standout at Huntingtown High School in Maryland, Powell is considered one of the top prospects in the state for the 2025 class, ranking 30th in Maryland according to the 247Sports Composite and 40th by 247Sports. He also held scholarship offers from schools like Army, Buffalo, James Madison, Marshall, Old Dominion, Navy, and Toledo. Powell initially committed to West Virginia in June and signed with them in December before changing course.
Evan Powell is projected to line up as a defensive end or outside linebacker in ECU’s EDGE role, bringing versatility to the Pirates’ defensive scheme. He was recruited by coaches Rico Zackery and Roy Tesh and is set to enroll this summer. His arrival will bolster an already strong defensive line class, which is critical following the departure of several key contributors from last year’s 8-5 squad.
Over the past two seasons at Huntingtown High School, Powell emerged as a standout defender, amassing 128 total tackles, 22 sacks, and 38 tackles for loss. He recorded double-digit sacks in back-to-back years—10 as a junior and 12 as a senior—helping lead Huntingtown to a 10-3 record and a narrow loss to Decatur in the state championship, 13-12.
Powell’s older brother, Anthony Smith, began his college career at NC State before transferring to ECU. Last season, Smith hauled in 41 receptions for 799 yards and six touchdowns, establishing himself as a key weapon in the Pirates’ offense and a central figure heading into the 2025 season.
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